Another Joburg building goes up in flames

Firefighters continue to battle the fire in the Department of Health building in the Johannesburg CBD for the second day, 6 September 2018. Picture: Neil McCartney

The fire broke out just a week after three firefighters died trying to extinguish the blaze at the Bank of Lisbon Building in the Johannesburg CBD.

A fire has been extinguished at another building in the Johannesburg CBD, on Eloff Street, Johannesburg Emergency Services said on Tuesday.

The fire broke out around 4 am and a section of the building was damaged.

“When we arrived at the scene, part of the fire was already extinguished. Firefighters battled a fire on the other side of the building, which took about 45 minutes to extinguish,” spokesperson Nana Radebe said.

Radebe said the cause of the fire was not yet known but they were investigating.

Last week, three firefighters died trying to extinguish the blaze at the Bank of Lisbon Building in the Johannesburg CBD.

The safety of structures in the inner city has come into sharp focus after it emerged the Bank of Lisbon Building failed to meet regulations.

The Johannesburg Metro Police (JMPD) announced that the memorial service of the three firefighters would be held at Ellis Park stadium on Wednesday.